Plant question

[motoman]

I've purchased some Java fern and hornwort for my tank last week and at first they seemed to be doing fine but now my hornwort is falling apart and turning brown on some of the leaves/stems. Is there a better way to plant them? I have them planted in the gravel and have peat plates underneath. I have no idea what minerals are in my water since I don't have a very sophisticated test kit. The Java fern has a bit of brownish algea on the one leaf, that could have been from the store, but otherwise seems to be doing well.

I'm using a Tropic Sun 5500K bulb on a 20 gal system. Do I need CO2 or fertilizer?

Are there less fragile plants that I could use besides hornwort that would grow easily? I don't know much about the plant aspect of tanks yet so I'm open to suggestions and advise here.

Thanks,

Motoman :cry:  :?:

[dpatte]

whats the temp of your tank. Hornwart prefers cooler water - it comes apart over 75F

[Anubias]

Hi,

Hornwort needs at least moderate lighting to do well. It will do fine with two flourescent tubes above the tank. It prefers calcium in the water column, but I've grown it here in Ottawa where calcium hardness is low. It also grows in the Mer Blue bog where pH is pretty low. In any case, it is a brittle plant.

Hornwort is a floating plant, great for goldfish tanks. They enjoy munching on it. It is best not to plant it in the substrate.

If it was brownish when you got it from the store, it was probably on its last legs. Pet shops often have inadequate lighting for the plants that they sell.

Regards,

[Anubias]

As an afterthought, throw some crushed dolomite, calcium carbonate gravel, or limestone rocks in the tank to maintain the hardness.

[motoman]

Ok, well I've got two problems then. One my tank is at about 78 and the water is quite soft now. I'm going to put the rest of my Hornwort in my goldfish pond. I bought three plants and put one in the pond and two in my tank upstairs. The pond one looks great but the others don't. I'll just swap them and get some more Java fern and anubius or something like that for my upstairs tank. Thanks guys. I didn't read anywhere that the hornwort like cooler water. The plants looked good when I bought them but they started to deteriorate badly in the last week or so upstairs.

Motoman

[Poustic]

I keep hornwort at 78 without any problems.  I did notice that it took a while for it to adapt when I first put some in the tank.  It almost all died, but after a week or two, it started growing really fast again.  My pH is around 6.5, KH =2.

[Eirikre]

As for the low calcium hardness, is that why my snails are all gnarley.  Their shells are all white and chunky and thin.  I suspected a lack of calcium but I am not testing for hardness.   What should I do to correct my snails' problem?

[Anubias]

Yes, that is probably the reason. Treat as per hornwort. Carbon dioxide injection will dissolve the snail shells in planted tanks sometimes.

Regards,

[Eirikre]

Treat as per hornwort. Carbon dioxide injection will dissolve the snail shells in planted tanks sometimes.

I am using a DIY CO2 in my 35g.  I didn't think there was enough CO2 produced this way to have a negative affect.  Am I mistaken?

Also how do you 'Treat as per hornwort'?

Thanks

[Anubias]

Add calcium & magnesium in the form of dolomite, limestone, or calcite etc.

Regards,

[Eirikre]

Thanks.

Should it be crushed, granual,...?